Chương 12: Chapter 11: Fisher

The Warp Totem pulled James through before he had time to regret selecting yes. Pressure surrounded his entire body, followed by a brief sensation of being stretched in several directions at once, and then solid ground returned beneath his boots. James staggered forward and nearly dropped the Minotaur Warhammer, while Julie tightened around his torso and Kevin dug several legs into his breastplate.

"I'm fine," James said as he caught his balance, though the statement was mostly intended to calm his familiars. His stomach disagreed strongly with him. The dizziness faded after several seconds, and James finally looked around. Water extended in every direction beneath a clear blue sky, with no forest, mountains, buildings, or distant shoreline visible anywhere. The only land was a small grassy island beneath his feet, perhaps thirty feet across, with a narrow wooden pier extending out over the water.

An old man sat at the end of the pier holding a fishing rod. He wore faded brown pants, a loose white shirt, and old leather boots, while a wicker basket rested on the boards beside him. Nothing about his appearance seemed threatening, which James had learned was an excellent reason to become suspicious.

"You never know what you'll catch," the old man said without turning around. His voice carried clearly across the small island despite being quiet, and he adjusted the rod slightly as he continued watching the water.

"You cast your line, find somewhere comfortable to sit, and eventually something answers." James rested both hands on the warhammer. Julie tasted the air beside his neck, while Kevin sent several thin strands of silk across the grass and onto the pier. Neither familiar detected anything useful from the stranger.

"Who are you?" James asked while remaining several steps away from the pier. The old man finally turned and smiled at him, revealing short gray hair, weathered features, and clear blue eyes. His expression was friendly enough that James trusted it even less.

"I am a fisherman," the old man replied as he returned his attention to the lake. His rod suddenly bent, and he pulled back with one smooth movement. A silver fish nearly two feet long came free of the water, and the fisherman calmly removed the hook before dropping it into his basket. James watched the entire process.

"Nice catch," he said as he glanced toward the fish, then back toward the old man. The fisherman's smile widened slightly before he answered.

"Nice catch indeed," the old man said while looking directly at James. The wording made James uncomfortable enough that his grip tightened around the hammer. The fisherman noticed and appeared amused rather than concerned. A second fishing rod appeared on the pier beside him. James saw no flash, movement, or System notification announcing its creation, because the rod simply had not existed one moment and existed the next.

"Sit," the fisherman said as he tapped the boards beside it.

"Fish with me." James did not move immediately. Julie's confusion became stronger through their bond because she sensed no body heat from the fisherman, while Kevin's silk carried no vibration from the old man despite the pier visibly bending beneath his weight. James could see his clothes moving and hear his voice, yet both familiars reacted as if the man were not physically present.

"What are you?" James asked as he took one careful step closer. The fisherman sighed and began placing fresh bait on his hook. His expression suggested James had asked an extremely common and mildly disappointing question.

"People place far too much importance on names and titles," the fisherman said while working.

"They think knowing what to call something means they understand it. Most of the time, they simply become confident enough to stop asking useful questions."

"It usually helps to know what I'm talking to," James replied as he approached the pier. He remained several feet outside the fisherman's reach, though he doubted distance would matter if the old man decided to attack. Kevin shifted higher onto James's shoulder without being told. The fisherman looked toward the spider.

"You named him Kevin," he said before returning his attention to the hook. His tone remained completely ordinary, which somehow made the statement more irritating. James looked at Kevin, then back at the fisherman.

"That was a good name," he said while narrowing his eyes. The fisherman gave a small nod rather than arguing.

"I did not say otherwise," the fisherman replied as he cast his line. The hook traveled much farther than James expected before disappearing against the distant surface. Small ripples spread outward from the point where it landed.

"How do you know his name?" James asked as he finally stepped onto the pier. The boards creaked beneath his boots, and Kevin immediately anchored a thread to the railing that did not exist because there was no railing. The spider settled for securing himself to one of the boards instead.

"I know many things," the fisherman answered while watching the water. His smile returned after the statement.

"Not everything."

"That is a suspiciously convenient answer," James said as he lowered the warhammer beside him. He remained standing for another moment before finally sitting several feet from the old man. The second fishing rod rested between them.

"It is also an honest answer," the fisherman replied while waiting for his line to move. He showed no concern about the heavily armed human sitting beside him. James eventually picked up the second rod. The fishing rod was simple. Dark wood formed the handle, while a thin silver line ran directly from the tip without a reel or metal guides. James had used something similar as a child while fishing with his father, and the memory arrived strongly enough that he stopped examining the rod for several seconds.

He pushed the memory aside and looked at the empty hook.

"There isn't any bait," James said as he held the line up for the fisherman to see. The old man glanced toward it without concern.

"Do you need it?" the fisherman asked while adjusting his own line. James stared at him before looking back at the empty hook.

"For fishing? Usually, yes," James said as he lowered the hook again. The fisherman nodded toward the water as if the absence of bait changed nothing.

"Try without it," he replied before returning his attention to his own rod. James inspected the empty hook one last time.

"This feels like some kind of lesson," James said as he prepared to cast. The fisherman chuckled quietly and leaned back slightly.

"Everything becomes a lesson when someone is determined to learn from it," he answered. His line remained motionless while he spoke.

"That sounds like something people say when they don't want to explain what the hell is happening," James said before throwing his line into the water. The fisherman laughed openly this time, and James decided he preferred that response to another vague answer. They sat quietly for several minutes. No birds crossed the sky, no insects moved across the island, and nothing disturbed the water except their two lines.

James became increasingly aware that he had no idea whether time inside the tutorial was continuing while he sat here.

"So, are you one of these Powers outside the Realm?" James asked after the silence became irritating. He kept one hand around the fishing rod and watched the old man from the corner of his eye. The fisherman considered the question instead of immediately answering.

"Outside is a matter of perspective," he finally replied. The answer made James rub one hand across his face.

"You are going to speak in vague bullshit the entire time, aren't you?" James asked as he lowered his hand. The fisherman smiled without looking at him.

"Only until you ask better questions," he replied while adjusting his line. James stared at the side of his face for several seconds.

"Fine," James said as he sat straighter. He thought about the obvious questions and discarded most of them before continuing.

"Why did the Warp Totem bring me here?" The fisherman's expression changed slightly. His smile did not disappear completely, but the amusement faded enough that James knew he had finally asked something the old man considered worthwhile.

"That is a better question," the fisherman said as he rested his rod across his knees.

"The Warp Totem did not bring you anywhere," he continued.

"It opened a path, and you chose to enter it. That difference matters more than you currently understand."

"So anyone could have come here?" James asked while glancing back toward the tiny island. The purple portal that had delivered him was nowhere visible. The fisherman shook his head slightly.

"Anyone could have repaired the totem," he replied. James immediately noticed that the answer was not the same as the question.

"You were waiting for someone to repair it," James said as he studied him. The fisherman nodded once and returned the rod to the water.

"I was waiting to see if anyone would," he replied. His attention remained on the lake.

"And I'm the first?" James asked while Julie shifted around his torso. The fisherman looked at him again.

"In your Realm, yes," he answered. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. A golden System notification appeared between them. [Special Achievement.] [You are the first individual in the newly integrated Realm to restore an inactive Warp Totem.] [Achievement recorded.] [Reward pending.] James stared at the final line.

"Pending?" he asked while dismissing the notification. The fisherman's amusement returned immediately.

"You have not finished yet," he said as he adjusted his grip on the rod. James looked down at his own line.

"Finished what?" James asked even though he already suspected the answer. The fisherman nodded toward the water.

"Fishing," he replied, and James resisted the urge to throw the rod into the lake. Instead, he sat there for another minute while nothing touched his hook. Before boredom could completely win, James remembered something more important than fishing. He opened his Status screen and turned slightly toward the fisherman. The familiar blue panel appeared beside him.

[Status] [Name: James Roller] [Species: Human] [Tier: Unawakened] [Level: 6] [Class: Unavailable] [Skills: Language Comprehension, Basic Punch, Appraisal lvl. 1] [Titles: Newly Integrated, Pioneer of Knowledge, Beast Bond Pioneer] [REDACTED] James pointed toward the sealed entry.

"Since you know so much, tell me what that is," he said as he watched the fisherman carefully. Julie raised her head immediately, and Kevin focused several eyes on the old man. For the first time since James arrived, the fisherman became completely still. His eyes settled on the Status screen, moved down through each ordinary line, and stopped where James's finger pointed. Several seconds passed without any answer. James felt his stomach tighten.

"You can see it, right?" James asked as he lowered his hand slightly. The fisherman continued looking at the same place.

"I can see that your System places something there," the fisherman said slowly. His voice had lost nearly all of its earlier amusement.

"I can see the space around it, and I can see that the System refuses to show you more."

"That wasn't what I asked," James said as he watched the old man's reaction. The fisherman finally met his eyes.

"No," he replied.

"I do not know what it is." James stared at him.

"You know Kevin's name, where I came from, and apparently enough about Warp Totems to sit here waiting for someone to fix one," James said as irritation entered his voice. He kept the Status screen open between them.

"But you can't tell me what one line on my own fucking screen means?"

"That is correct," the fisherman answered without defensiveness. He looked at [REDACTED] again, and James noticed something new in his expression. The fisherman leaned slightly toward the screen.

"I know there is something I cannot perceive," he said after another pause.

"That is not the same as knowing what it is. I have encountered concealed bloodlines, sealed authorities, hidden patrons, damaged records, censored identities, and things that believed they had escaped observation." James waited. The fisherman looked directly at [REDACTED].

"This is none of those things that I recognize," he said as his eyes narrowed slightly.

"When I attempt to look beyond that word, there is simply nothing available to me. No sealed information. No hidden name. No barrier for me to break." James felt Julie's unease grow through their bond. Kevin's response was quieter, but every leg against James's armor became still.

"So the most powerful-looking bastard I've met since the world ended has no idea what's hiding inside my status," James said as he dismissed the screen. The fisherman's smile returned, though it was smaller than before.

"I never claimed to be the most powerful-looking bastard you have met," he replied as he picked up his fishing rod again. James gave him a flat look.

"But yes. I do not know."

"That is not reassuring," James said as he returned his attention to the lake. The fisherman nodded in agreement rather than offering comfort.

"It should not be," he replied. His honesty made James dislike the answer slightly less, though not enough to feel better. James remained quiet for a while after that. The fact that Fisher did not know [REDACTED] bothered him far more than another cryptic explanation would have, because the old man clearly operated beyond anything James understood. If somebody like Fisher could not identify it, then James had little chance of forcing an answer at Level Six. His fishing line moved.

James almost ignored the first twitch because he was still thinking about his Status. Then the silver line pulled again, harder this time. The fisherman's expression brightened immediately.

"There," he said as he leaned forward.

"Something answered." James tightened both hands around the rod.

"About fucking time," he said as the line pulled hard enough to bend the dark wooden shaft. Julie wrapped more firmly around his torso while Kevin anchored several strands between James and the pier. There was no reel, so James began drawing the line toward himself by hand. The resistance increased steadily, forcing him to brace both boots against the boards. Whatever waited beneath the surface was significantly heavier than any fish he had ever caught. The water finally broke.

Golden symbols moved beneath the surface around a dark rectangular object. James pulled again, dragged it against the side of the pier, and hauled it onto the boards with both hands. He stared at what he had caught.

"That's a piece of wood," James said as water ran from the dark block. Golden runes covered the surface for several seconds before slowly fading. The fisherman looked completely satisfied.

"Yes," he replied while checking his own line. James looked from the wood to the fisherman.

"I spent all that time fishing for lumber?" James asked as he picked up the block. It was heavier than its size suggested, and the grain was tighter than any wood he had handled professionally.

"I could have stayed on Earth for this."

"You repaired an ancient magical structure with a boulder, improvised tools, spider silk, and almost no understanding of the runes involved," the fisherman replied as he gestured toward the block. His smile widened.

"Wood seemed appropriate." James activated Appraisal. [Unawakened Heartwood] [A fragment of living wood awaiting purpose.] [Compatible with rune-based craftsmanship.] [Quality and properties will be determined by the creator's intent.] James read the description several times. The material did not contain a fixed weapon type, enchantment, or obvious function. Whatever it became would apparently depend upon what he decided to build from it.

"That's dangerous information to give someone who likes making shit," James said as he turned the Heartwood in both hands. Julie extended her head toward it but stopped before touching the surface. Kevin seemed even more interested, carefully studying the faded runes. The fisherman stood and pulled his line from the water.

"Power is rarely the difficult part," he said as he placed the rod beside the basket.

"Choosing what something should become is much harder." James secured the Heartwood beneath the straps across his back.

"Is that why you brought me here?" he asked as he picked up his warhammer. The fisherman shook his head.

"You still believe I brought you," he replied while looking toward the island. A purple doorway appeared at the beginning of the pier without any visible frame around it.

"You repaired a path. You chose to walk through it. You cast the line, and something answered you." James looked toward the portal but did not move yet.

"What should I call you?" he asked as he turned back. The fisherman considered the question before smiling.

"You may call me Fisher," he said while placing another piece of bait on his hook. James frowned immediately.

"That is not your name," James replied as he adjusted the Heartwood strap. Fisher shrugged.

"It is what I am doing," he answered. James decided arguing would accomplish nothing.

"Fine. Fisher," James said as he walked toward the purple doorway. Julie tightened around him and Kevin secured himself to the breastplate in preparation for another unpleasant trip.

"James," Fisher called before he reached the portal. James stopped and turned, finding the old man standing at the end of the pier with his fishing rod in one hand. His expression had become serious again.

"When the System offers you a path, do not choose the one that promises the most immediate power," Fisher said as he watched him. The warning carried none of his earlier humor.

"Power is useful, but a narrow path remains narrow no matter how quickly you walk it." James considered the words.

"What should I choose instead?" he asked while keeping one hand against the Heartwood strapped to his back. Fisher looked toward the endless water before answering.

"The one that leaves room to build something greater," he replied. The purple doorway surged before James could ask anything else. The island disappeared. James's boots struck forest soil. He stumbled forward, Julie tightened around him, and Kevin anchored himself against the breastplate while the purple surface behind them flickered. The repaired Warp Totem remained standing, though faint cracks had begun appearing across several of its older stones. A blue System window appeared first.

[Warp Totem encounter completed.] [Unawakened Heartwood acquired.] [Outside Power has taken notice of you.] [Class Seed has received external guidance.] James stared at the final message.

"External guidance?" he asked while looking back toward the Totem. The structure offered no explanation, and the portal continued weakening behind him. Then golden light replaced the blue. [Special Achievement.] [You are the first human to successfully use a Warp Totem.] [Achievement earned: Warper.] [Warp Totem-related growth increased.] [You have leveled up!] [You are now Level 7.] [3 Attribute Points are available.] James smiled as the familiar surge of improvement settled through his body.

He opened his attributes and placed two points into Strength and one into Endurance, keeping the same priorities that had allowed him to use increasingly heavy weapons without exhausting himself immediately. [Strength increased to 18.] [Endurance increased to 15.] James lifted the Minotaur Warhammer with one hand and tested its balance. The weapon still carried substantial weight, but controlling it now required noticeably less effort.

"Oh, that feels good," he said as Julie sent approval through the bond and Kevin tapped the breastplate near his shoulder. His smile disappeared when he remembered the conversation on the pier. James opened his Status one more time. [REDACTED] The word remained exactly where it had always been. Fisher did not know what it was. Somehow, that answer bothered James more than anything the System could have told him.